Ancelotti has 'autonomy' in Neymar decision

Carlo Ancelotti will walk into the Brazil squad announcement on May 18 with a nation peering over his shoulder and one burning question hanging in the Rio de Janeiro air: Neymar or no Neymar?

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The 34-year-old forward is the country’s all-time leading goalscorer, but his place at the World Cup hangs in the balance after years of injury troubles and an underwhelming return to Brazilian club Santos.

That leaves Ancelotti weighing romance against the cold, practical demands of fitness as he lays out his high-intensity blueprint for the record five-time world champions.

“When you have to choose, you have to consider many things,” he told Reuters on May 12.

“Neymar is an important player for this country because of the talent he has always shown. But he has had problems and is working hard to recover. He has improved a lot recently and is playing regularly. It is, obviously, not such an easy decision for me. We have to weigh up the pros and cons carefully.”